Sebastopol, CANews, Events, Sports, Photos, Businesses, Community2014-10-05T12:47:57Zhttp://sebastopol.towns.pressdemocrat.com/feed/atom/WordPressAndrea Granahanhttp://sebastopol.towns.pressdemocrat.com/?p=236102014-09-29T19:28:38Z2014-10-05T12:47:57ZIt’s fall and the gourds are ripe so it’s time for Calabash, the Food For Thought Food Bank fundraiser that celebrates all things gourd. There will be food and wine served in the gardens, and a silent auction of gourd art from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday (10/5) at 6550 Railroad Ave., Forestville. Go to fftfoodbank.org for details.
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center is offering a tour of the facility and its gardens from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Sunday (10/5). It is at 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental. Go to oaec.org for details.
WACCO, the online bulletin board is holding its off line, very real annual potluck picnic 1-6 p.m. Sunday (10/5) in the gazebo in Ragle Ranch Park, 500Ragle Ranch Road., Sebastopol. There will be a keg of beer provided and picnickers are asked to bring a dish to share.
Flu shots for seniors will be available at the Sebastopol Area Senior Center from 2:30 – 4 p.m. Monday (10/6). They are free to those on Medicare, $25 otherwise. The center is at 167 N High St., Sebastopol. Call 829-2440 for details.
Sebastopol Area Senior Center is holding an Open Mic session 1:30 – 3 p.m. Thursday (10/9) with Alice Bradshaw, hosting, at 167 N High St., Sebastopol. It is free and there will be refreshments. To sign up to perform or read call 829-2440.
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center is premiering a musical/comedy show called “Hand to Mouth”, the story a seed becoming food based on the Michael Pollan book “Food Rules” at 8 p.m. Friday (10/10) and Saturday (10/11) at The Barn at the center, 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental. Tickets are $15 on Friday and on Saturday they are $30 because it includes a wine and appetizer reception. For tickets go to firstlooksonoma.com or call 949-842-7958.
Western Sonoma County Historical Society is holding its annual Cemetery Walk Friday (10/10) and Saturday(10/11). The evening begins with a soup and salad dinner at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church at 500 Robinson Ave., Sebastopol, then docents will lead people to six graves at Sebastopol Memorial Lawn where they will meet famous or infamous people from the past and actors will perform skits about their lives. Then walkers will go to Luther Burbank Gold Ridge Farm for dessert. There are four seatings each night at 5:30. 6:15, 7, and 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $30 for the 5:30 p.m. seating, the rest are $35. Call 823-0884 for reservations and tickets.
Janan means soul and it is the name of widely acclaimed group that will perform 8 p.m. at Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental. Tickets are $20. Go to occidentalcenterforthearts.org for tickets and details.
It’s the 100the annual Graton Fall Flower Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (10/11) and Sunday (10/12) at the Graton Community Center 8996 Graton Road, Graton. It is free and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. you can buy a homemade lunch prepared by the Graton Community Club.

The Bellydancers’ Bazaar returns to Sebastopol Community Cultural Center returns from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day Saturday (10/11) and Sunday (10/12), 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. Tickets are $15 adults, kids under 12 are free. There is live music, dance competitions, vendors and more. For details go to northbaybellydancebazaar.com.

Art Trails, a do it yourself trail to the open studios of many West County artists will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (10/11) and Sunday (10/12). It is all free. Go to Sebastopol Center for the Arts at 282 S High St.to pick up a map and brochure to see the works of 161 artists, or just follow one of the many bright yellow signs to a studio where they will also be available. Go to sonomacountyarttrails.org for details.
Free pancakes! The Sebastopol Fire Department is cooking up their annual free pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday (10/12) at the fire station 7425 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. It is free but the department counts on donations so be generous. Be prepared to stand in a line of happy people because the department’s pancakes enjoy an excellent reputation.
At noon at the downtown plaza in Sebastopol the Pomo Youth Dancers will demonstrate their heritage dances as part of annual Pomo Honoring Month. Go and enjoy the young people’s energetic performance and learn a little more about our local indigenous people.

The Rancho Bodega Historical Society is holding a historical Bodega Corner tour at 5 p.m. Sunday Oct. 12. The tour lasts about one hour and is limited to 10 people each so make your reservations as soon as you can. If the tours fill up more will be scheduled. The price is $10 adults, $5 children. To make reservations email rbhs@bodegamoon.net.

Not even the oldest old-timer can remember when the Mann barn wasn’t standing on Bodega Highway between Bodega and Freestone.

Photographers often stop there, and once it almost starred in a movie (instead it landed on the cutting room floor). It is still a working barn, used by a cattle rancher as a hay barn.

Cobwebs and hay bales inside the Mann barn.

Arden Lites now owns it and said she doesn’t know how old it is. Her parents had a dairy operation, raising Jersey cows, and when she was growing up it was her job to feed the calves in the barn.

“They had to be fed twice a day, starting with milk, then we weaned them onto grain,” she said. “They were very affectionate. We used that barn to dehorn the cows and tattoo their ears to identify them. Nowadays they give the cows earrings instead.”

Once chores were done, the kids could play. They built hay forts, and Arden’s sister Gay snuggled the barn cats whose job it was to take care of barn rats attracted by the feed.

Antique baling equipment finds its place in the barn.

A bat hangs out inside the barn.

The barn has three horse stalls that were never used for horses after the Manns bought the ranch in 1946.

“When my dad lived on a ranch in Bodega Bay he had to ride a horse miles to go to school. He was never fond of horses,” said Lites, whose mother was Doris Mann. “I remember we had a white cow barn across from it that was much older. We finally took it down to build a garage.”

In the late 1970s, Walt Disney came through to make a picture called “The Pack” that was set in Amish country. The movie crew hung up a round hex sign like those that typically decorate Pennsylvania Dutch barns.

The barn was edited out of the film, and the movie crew moved on, but the sign lasted for many years until it fell off. In the meantime, the barn had gotten a new roof and a paint job, so an unpainted circle still remains where it used to be.

Although one corner sags a bit, the Mann barn is sturdy enough to remain a landmark for years to come.

Apples still grow on the Mann family’s farm.

]]>0Andrea Granahanhttp://sebastopol.towns.pressdemocrat.com/?p=236182014-10-03T22:40:10Z2014-10-03T22:40:10ZThe annual charity bicycling rally Levi’s Grandfondo happens this Saturday, Oct. 4 and there are going to be a lot of road closures in the West County. The road closures will be assisted by CHP, support vehicles, course marshals, local fire departments, and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. It will NOT affect emergency vehicles.

So heads up. Here is where and when you cannot drive because of closures:

Afterwards the public is invited to participate the free FondoSonoma Festival at the Finely Center in Santa Rosa at 2060 W. College Ave. Stay home Saturday morning, plot your routes carefully, or just go and park somewhere and cheer on the expected 7,500 cyclists who will be going by and then go party with them.

]]>0Andrea Granahanhttp://sebastopol.towns.pressdemocrat.com/?p=236202014-09-29T22:32:30Z2014-09-29T22:32:30ZThe annual charity bicycling rally Levi’s Grandfondo happens this Saturday, Oct. 4 and there are going to be a lot of road closures in the West County. The road closures will be assisted by CHP, support vehicles, course marshals, local fire departments, and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office. It will NOT affect emergency vehicles.

So heads up. Here is where and when you cannot drive because of closures:

Afterwards the public is invited to participate the free FondoSonoma Festival at the Finely Center in Santa Rosa at 2060 W. College Ave. Stay home Saturday morning, plot your routes carefully, or just go and park somewhere and cheer on the expected 7,500 cyclists who will be going by and then go party with them.

The Rancho Bodega Historical Society is holding two historical Bodega Corner tours, one on Sat. Oct. 4 and one on Oct. 12. Both walks are at 5 p.m. and last about one hour. The tours are limited to 10 people each so make your reservations as soon as you can. If the tours fill up more will be scheduled. The price is $10 adults, $5 children. To make reservations email rbhs@bodegamoon.net. Oct. 4 is also the day of the Bodega Volunteer Fire Department dinner so after the tour, walkers can buy a dinner.

]]>0Andrea Granahanhttp://sebastopol.towns.pressdemocrat.com/?p=235902014-09-25T21:05:12Z2014-09-29T12:02:20ZThe week of Sept. 17 – 23 meant a whole lot of basic work for the Sebastopol Police Department. While they were out catching bad guys they also nabbed an elusive rooster that was bothering a neighborhood. Here’s some of what appeared in the 146 items on the logbook.

Arrests – 7

Suspicious Persons – 6

Suspicious Vehicles – 11

Illegal Parking – 8

False Alarms – 10

False 9-1-1 Calls – 2

Hit and Run Misdemeanors – 1

On Sept. 17 at 7:59 a.m. a 14 year old girl at Vista Court with mental issues was making suicide threats. Her distraught family said she had just been released from Aurora Hospital and clearly needed to go back. At 11:09 a.m. a woman came back home to Norlee St. and found the door she left dead bolted was open. She requested extra patrols. At 11:45 a.m. police resolved a problem for a woman whose neighbor kept tearing down parts of her fence. At 7:34 p.m. officers located a missing juvenile. At 10:48 p.m. officers arrested someone drunk in public at Old Mai St. Saloon.

On Sept. 18 at 1:03 a.m. police checked the welfare of man reported to have passed out in his wheelchair on N Main St. He was fine. At 12:20 p.m. a juvenile stole a yoghurt and some nuts from Lucky’s Market and ran off. Police took care of it. At 1:33 p.m. someone called to report a semi had driven down Florence Ave. where they are not permitted, so the driver got a ticket. At 2:03 p.m. someone called to report another semi had driven down Florence Ave. Police couldn’t find that one. At 2:48 p.m. police checked the welfare of a patient on Murphy Ave. who had not seen the doctors since May but then left a an incoherent obscene message the night before. At 6:18 p.m. officers responded to a call that someone was breaking into a pick-up truck and trying to pry something off the dashboard on High ST. but they couldn’t find the culprit.

On Sept. 19 at 5:24 a.m. police calmed a noisy disturbance at Lucky’s Market. At 6:25 a.m. police warned someone making a noise disturbance at The Barlow. At 8:56 a.m. police investigated a report of man indecently exposing himself on Palm Ave. At 9:58 a.m. officers assisted an ambulance call at Fircrest Convalescent Hospital. At 10:32 a.m. a driver with a suspended license was arrested on S Main St. At 11:58 a.m. someone complained of a rooster making a disturbance on Washington Ave. Officers tried to locate the pesky poultry but could not. At 9:23 a.m. a girl at Fircrest Mobile Home Park had wandered off after making suicide threats.

On Sept. 20 at 10:59 a.m. a couple with a little girl panhandling on Healdsburg Ave. was warned. At 11:52 a.m. there was an ambulance assist call at May Court. At 7:49 p.m. someone complained of noise at Aubergine Café. At 10:22 p.m. someone complained of noise at Aubergine Café again. At 10:46 p.m. a small group of young men created a disturbance at Old Main St. Saloon by bothering the women there rudely. At 11:44 p.m. a woman on Jewell Ave. who had put up bells on her fence because of a prowler said the bells had been ringing. Police checked but all was well.

On Sept. 21 at 1:09 a.m. officers assisted Sonoma County Sheriff Office personnel with a fight at Bloomfield Road that had got out of control. At 8:15 a.m. there was an ambulance assist call at Bodega Ave. At 8:37 a.m. a white fluffy dog was hauled off to doggie jail from Lynch Rd. At 9:26 a.m. police arrested a driver who had no license on Sebastopol Ave. At 10:58 a.m. a brother whose sister was being evicted and was there to help her move called in that his sister was creating a disturbance with the manager and needed a mental evaluation, but at the same time the sister had called police to complain she needed protection from her brother. Officers sorted it all out. At 1:14 p.m. someone got a ticket for driving without a license on N Main St. At 6:37 p.m. someone smelled burning plastic at Hopmonk Tavern but all was well. At 6:50 p.m. a man came into police headquarters so incoherent officers realized he was high on something and arrested him. At 7:52 p.m. a purse was stolen from El Favorito. AT 8:53 p.m. someone went into Rite Aid Pharmacy and helped himself to flashlights and batteries and took off on his bicycle.

On Sept. 22 at 12:22 a.m. police arrested a drunk driver on Sebastopol Ave. At 7:58 a.m. a part of a construction fence was stolen from Taco Bell. At 9:40 a.m. a stolen vehicle was recovered from Shaun Court. At 12:12 p.m. an unwanted trespassing male was hanging out at Laguna High School and was warned. At 2:57 p.m. it was discovered there had been a burglary at Palm Drive Hospital and extra patrols were requested. At 10:47 p.m. Sonoma County Sheriff Office asked for assistance with a disturbance at Norlee St. At 11:30 p.m. someone got a ticket for driving without a license on Bodega Ave.

On Sept. 23 at 1:21 a.m. someone got a ticket for driving without a license on McKinley St. At 9:03 a.m. a man at Village Bakery became unresponsive and needed medical help. AT 9:42 a.m. a trespasser was warned after he had been chased off from Apple Blossom Mini Mart. At 1:22 p.m. the wily rooster who had eluded arrest before was finally apprehended on Washington Ave. and taken to poultry penitentiary (or did coq au vin appear on someone’s dinner menu?). At 1:42 p.m. a young man who had created major disturbance and committed vandalism throwing things and swinging around a pole, perhaps with a fish on it and then stormed out was arrested for vandalism. At 2:12 p.m. someone spilled paint on Ragle Ave. S and police helped clean it up before it reached a storm drain. At 3:17 p.m. officers made a warrant arrest at Tidal Wave Car Wash. At 4:48 p.m. police checked on a dog on a pulley but the dog had water and the owners brother said the dog was scheduled for rabies shots, and the vet confirmed it. At 9:47 p.m. police took a grand theft report after someone stole three pieces of art from Screamin’ Mimi’s Ice Cream Parlor.

The Laguna Foundation is holding a birds of prey identification workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (9/28) at 900 Sanford Rd., Sebastopol. It will be led by Larry Broderick and costs $25. Go to lagunafoundation.org for details.

World famous English guitarist Richard Smith will perform at 8 p.m. Friday (10/3) at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 290 Morris St., Sebastopol. Tickets are $23 advance, $26 at the door. For tickets and information go to seb.org.

It is Pomo Honoring Month. At Risk Press Gallery there will be a reception 2-5 p.m. Saturday (10/4) for the exhibit Pomo Ancestors and Neighbors, 7345 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol. Free.

It’s fall and the gourds are ripe so it’s time for Calabash, the Food For Thought Food Bank fundraiser that celebrates all things gourd. There will be food and wine served in the gardens, and a silent auction of gourd art from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday (10/5) at 6550 Railroad Ave., Forestville. Go to fftfoodbank.org for details.

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center is offering a tour of the facility and its gardens from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Sunday (10/5). It is at 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental. Go to oaec.org for details.

WACCO, the online bulletin board is holding its off line, very real annual potluck picnic 1-6 p.m. Sunday (10/5) in the gazebo in Ragle Ranch Park, 500Ragle Ranch Road., Sebastopol. There will be a keg of beer provided and picnickers are asked to bring a dish to share.

Sebastopol is now the home of the county’s first henna bar, I Dream of Henna, thanks to Hayet Clark, the Henna Queen. The single mother of two has dedicated herself to the Middle Eastern decorative art since 1996, riding the wave of its American popularity.

In many parts of the world, brides are covered with henna designs for their weddings. Unlike tattoos, which are made with permanent dyes injected deep into the skin, henna is applied to the skin’s surface and naturally wears off.

Henna dye comes from the leaves of a plant, Lawsonia inermis, native to Persia, the Mid-East and North Africa. The powdered leaves are mixed with acids such as lemon oil, making a paste that stains the skin reddish-brown, a perfect medium for creating temporary body art.

How old is the art of henna?

It is the first known cosmetic. Men in the desert used it to coat their feet because it protected the soles from the hot sands. There’s a debate about when women began using it. It is mentioned in the Song of Solomon, and Egyptian mummies have been found with hennaed hair.

How long does henna stay on the skin?

Usually seven to 10 days, but it can last three or four weeks depending on location. It dyes palms and feet the darkest and continues to darken for about three days after it is applied. On dead animal skins such as drum heads, it is permanent.

Do people get it instead of tattoos?

Some people do, and some will have a henna pattern applied to decide if they like it enough to make it permanent. A tattoo is forever. Who wants to live in one moment for the rest of your life? I prefer change. Life is change.

You seem to have a campaign going against black henna. Why is that?

Some people like black henna because it looks more like a tattoo, but henna is brown. There is no such thing as black henna. It contains a toxic substance called para-phenylenediaime, or PPD, that can cause severe itching, scarring, organ failure and cancer. Some shops sell it unknowingly in premixed paste in cones.

I call it death paste. I buy organic henna grown in the Punjab area of India and use only organic ingredients such as lemon oil to make my paste.

How did you get interested in henna art?

I had to take over a henna class at the last minute for a henna artist who had an emergency. I failed at it. I am an artist and studied fine arts in my native Michigan with Lido Lippi, the artist who restored the Sistine Chapel, but henna was new to me. When I went to India to attend a wedding, I saw a real henna artist and became passionate about it.

What are some of the things henna projects you do?

I do henna crowns for women who have lost their hair. I also do torsos; belly dancers like those. Usually people like it on their hands, arms or feet.

Tell us more about the crowns.

That is my favorite work. I can see someone feeling beautiful, smiling. I work fast, but a henna crown can take one or two hours to complete.

Kate Jonasse of K-Tech Automotive in Sebastopol managed to make two families very happy Wednesday at 6 p.m. when she turned over the keys to reliable wheels to them.

For the last three years K-Tech has taken a car, given it a thorough work-up, and turned it over to someone who needs decent, reliable transportation. This year because two people had donated their used vehicles to the cause, Jonasse and her crew had two vehicles to hand over.

“It was twice the work for us all, but it is worth it,” Jonasse said, and said they were supported by other businesses in the community such as auto part suppliers.

Anna Jackson, a disabled stay at home mother with a 12 year old daughter, had no vehicle until K-Tech handed over 1989 Volvo shining with a new paint job.

“This means so much,” Jackson said. “Now my daughter who has missed so much can take part in extra-curricular activities at school that are so important to kids her age.”

The Kuhner family with three children, 13, 16 and 21 had been trying to do with Jeff Kuhner’s rapidly deteriorating old car that had left them stranded at times. Christie Kuhner was in tears as she was handed the keys to a 2000 Saturn complete with a new set of tires. The couple’s 11 year old son died a few years ago around the same time they lost their home to foreclosure.

Christie Kuhner’s way of coping with grief was to volunteer for others. The car will help her in assisting Napa earthquake victims where she is currently volunteering.

The cars are not only totally rebuilt , they come with a year’s service contract, a full tank of gas and all registration fees paid up.

This year other businesses in town wanted to celebrate the car giveaway and Smokehouse Bistro contributed a barbecue dinner to the party and others offered raffle prizes.

Yes, apples, those clever luscious fruits have their own free press but it is not a First Amendment issue. If you have a super harvest of apples, have made apple sauce, apple pies, apple dumplings and still have apples, have heart, there is still a way to make the most of your harvest. Slow Foods and Luther Burbank Farm have a press so your can make your own apple juice, which you can freeze and drink throughout the year. It is free to use it. You just have to make a reservation and haul your apples there then leave with juice. About 40 pounds of apple will yield about three gallons of fresh juice.

All you need to bring is apples and plastic containers. (No glass please, to avoid breakage, and not more than three or four bushels per reservation.) Slow Foods provides facilities for you to wash and cut your apples to prepare them for the press. A Slow Food volunteer familiar with operation of the press will be on site.